The Trials of Friendship
by Hearts345
Summary: James Tiberius Kirk, notorious Lady's Man, has changed so much since crashing his father's car into a ravine. He holds onto his "tough guy" façade with strong hands; hoping it doesn't break. What will happen when he finds a remnant of his past? How will she change him? Or will he change her? Set during Jim's time at the Academy... First chapter is just an introduction
1. November Rain

**Hey! How's everyone doing?**

**I'm feeling excellent... My school term is coming to an end and I'm so excited about that... Let the break begin!**

**This is a story that I thought up a while ago but never really got any ideas for until yesterday... I wrote this is the span of about 4 hours... So consider that as you read it**

**No Copyright Infringement is Intended**

* * *

"Please don't go." pleaded the blue eyed boy. His blonde hair fluttered slightly in the wind.

"I don't have a choice, Jim." said the girl, her hazel eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Izzy, you're my only friend." he said. "With you gone, I'll have no one."

Izzy brushed her wet brown hair out of her eyes. The tree they had chosen to sit under wasn't providing enough shelter from the rain. They were soaked to the skin.

She turned to face him. Jim's eyes were wide and bright; he too was close to tears. The setting sun illuminating his face did nothing to wash away his sad expression.

She looked away and, grasping at straws, came up with a new idea.

"What about George?" she asked.

Jim laughed, "He's just about had it with our step-father and Uncle Frank. I think he'll leave me too."

He turned away from her; unable to take her gaze anymore. He stared off into the field around them. It was empty.

"Everyone leaves me." he said under his breath.

Izzy could feel tears roll down her face. She did nothing to halt their journey, however. They were a welcome warmth on this cold November day.

She made to place her right hand on Jim's shoulder but he flinched away from her.

"My dad dies. My mother can't be bothered to stay. And now you're leaving." he said. "It's not fair."

"Jimmy," she said softly.

She had lost her own father in the attack on the USS Kelvin, but luckily her mother hadn't been aboard the ship. Sarah, Izzy's mother, had been home on Earth nearing the end of a medical leave.

She had been pregnant with Izzy at the time and it was a very stressful pregnancy. All the medical advancements hadn't helped, so the doctor had ordered Sarah to stay on Earth for the duration of her pregnancy.

She had been almost nine months pregnant when she heard of the Kelvin's fate. The added stress had caused her to give birth to Izzy a week after the ship was destroyed.

Sarah then moved to Riverside to be closer to family and her best friend, Winona Kirk. That was nearly nine years ago. But nine years was a long time to spend in one place, and Sarah had grown restless. She needed an escape.

"My mom got a job offer at the Starfleet Academy in San Francisco," said Izzy. "I'm moving to a new state not a new planet."

"Whatever," said Jim. "It doesn't matter."

Izzy blew out a puff of air in an exasperated fashion. Talking to James T. Kirk could really be frustrating sometimes. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

Suddenly, Jim crouched down in the dirt. He parted the wet grass and picked something up. When he stood back up, he had a look of triumph on his face.

"I have something for you." he said. He held out his hand to her.

"What?" she eyed him warily; aware of his fondness for pranks.

"This." he said, opening his hand.

On the palm of his hand was a smooth, red stone. It was about the size of a large Macadamia nut. The most surprising thing about the stone was its shape.

It was shaped like a perfect heart.

Izzy was speechless. She took it from him with shaky hands. She held it like it was made of glass.

"Thank you," she breathed.

Jim blushed, "I can't keep you from leaving but I can keep you from forgetting me."

She blinked; astounded. That was a pretty wise statement for an eight-year-old. Jim was a lot smarter than he acted.

Izzy smiled, "I doubt that I could ever forget you."

She then grasped him in a tight hug. For once, he didn't try to push her off but pulled her closer. She wasn't sure if she was still wet from the rain, or if they were both crying.

They weren't sure how long they stayed like that but eventually Jim broke away.

"It's getting late." he said. "You should head home."

Izzy followed his gaze and saw that the streetlights were turning on. She knew it wouldn't be long before the police would patrol for young kids out after dark. And her mother would worry.

"What about you?" she asked.

"My step-father wouldn't care if I stayed out all night." Jim said flatly.

The dejected look in his eyes was heart-wrenching. Clearly, the lack of care and love he received at home was deeply affecting him. She knew he needed her. More than he knew.

"Spend the night at my house, then." Izzy said. "My mom won't mind."

"Ok," he said. "Race you!"

It took Izzy a second to realize what he had said, but she was soon running after him.

Laughing and yelling, they ran through the fields of wheat; touching the stalks as they passed. Jim jumped into the mud puddles and Izzy jumped over them. Before long a big yellow farmhouse loamed ahead of them. Izzy's house.

They both reached the front door at the same time; any competition forgotten.

"Isabelle," said Jim, using her whole name.

She turned to him; her feet planted firmly on the veranda and a hand on the doorknob.

"Be safe." he said.

"I will." she said.

With that she opened the door. They both passed through into the warmth and security of the house.

They would have one more night together. The following morning would change everything. For better or worse.

* * *

**What did you think? Was everything described right? And my characters too?**

**I have noticed in the past that I tend to leave out information that is kinda important... So please let me know if I did that**

**I'm ****considering this one to be a OneShot but I'm not adverse to making it into an actual story with chapters and everything... Just let me know what you think of it**

******As always, reviews are welcome**

******Till next time!**


	2. Reunion

**Hey! I've finally got the 2nd chapter finished... This one took longer than I had hoped... But I think it turned out...**

**Please enjoy! :)**

**No Copyright Infringement is Intended... I only own my OC's**

* * *

"Why do we have to take this course?" Jim asked.

"It's only an Introduction Astronomy course. Why are you complaining?" said Bones, bemused.

"I just feel that my time could be better spent." said Jim. He turned in a circle to check out a group of young women they had passed.

"I'm sure you do." muttered Bones. He shook his head.

They continued down the hallway toward the classroom. A large glass and steel door loomed ahead of them. Through it, they could see the instructor at his desk and a few of the lecture hall seats.

Jim reached the door first and held it open for Bones. They were the last to arrive. Embarrassed by the attention, they walked slowly to take their seats at the back of the room.

"This is what happens when you sleep in." Bones said irritably. He hit Jim's shoulder as he sat down next to the younger man.

Jim simply smiled sheepishly.

"Look," he gestured to the door. "We're not the only ones who are late."

At the front of the room stood a young woman. She was human with light skin and chocolate brown hair. When she turned to walk up the stairs, they saw that she had brilliant hazel eyes. She didn't look like she was comfortable in the red Cadet uniform.

She flashed Jim and Bones a wide smile before taking a seat in the row in front of them.

"Izzy?" Jim breathed.

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to talk to her because the instructor started speaking to the class.

* * *

"Jim? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." said Bones as he stood up from his seat. The two-hour lecture was over and the class was leaving.

"Yeah," Jim shook his head to try to clear it. "Look, I'll see you later."

He got up from his seat and started down the stairs. He was jogging slightly to catch up with the brown haired girl. Some small part of his brain told him that he knew her.

Jim placed his left hand on her shoulder when he caught up to her. He was surprised by how easily she turned around under his touch. He pasted on his 'award-winning' smile when she finally faced him.

"Yes?" she asked nicely.

Feeling brave, Jim decided to counter her question.

"Isabelle Addams?" he asked, his smile faltering.

She blinked at him in confusion. She was silent for a few minutes; processing the information. Her look of uncertainty deepened.

"Yes…" she said hesitantly, almost warily. "How do you know my name?"

He tilted his head to the left and flashed her a cocky smile. He hoped it would help her remember. Otherwise, he would be very humiliated.

Her eyes widened, "Jim?"

Jim nodded.

She wrapped her arms around his chest; a hug. He hugged her back, feeling relieved. They were both laughing softly.

"It's good to see you again, Izzy." he admitted.

"You too," she released him. "What are you doing here?"

Izzy looked him up and down. Her facial expression hardened when she saw that he was wearing a Cadet uniform. Her hazel eyes flicked back up to him blue ones.

"I could ask you the same thing." he said defensively. He gestured to the similar uniform she wore.

"You were recruited by Captain Pike." she said.

It wasn't a question, but more of a statement.

"What about you?" asked Jim. "Didn't he recruit you?"

She scowled, "That's a different story."

Jim raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you later. Right now I'm late for class." she said. "Look, I'm going to my parents' house for supper tonight. Would you like to come?"

"Ok, what time?"

"Five. I'll pick you up outside the residence."

Jim nodded and watched as she headed back down the corridor. He watched her retreating form longingly for a few minutes. Then he sighed forcefully before heading toward his Astrophysics class.

He knew he was late but didn't care. Today was finally looking up. Bones couldn't berate him for that, could he?

* * *

Five o'clock soon snuck up on Jim and found him waiting outside his residence. He was pacing back and forth along the front steps. An unknown anxiety had taken hold of him and was gradually getting worse.

He was just about to give up hope when he heard the roar of an engine. He turned around to find an antique red truck inching its way toward him. He stared in awe as it stopped beside him; idling softly like a contented cat.

"You gonna get in? Or stand there drooling?" Izzy asked from the driver's seat.

Jim shook himself briskly and, blushing somewhat, opened the passenger door. He was aware that Izzy was watching him get in the truck but he ignored her. He found himself growing uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Relax Jim," she said. "I was only joking."

"Is this yours?" he asked, touching the dashboard.

"Yes, it was my 18th birthday present from my mother and step-father."

Jim's head jerked up when he processed her words. Step-father? He didn't remember her having one when she left Riverside.

"But anyway, let's go shall we?" Izzy said as she threw the truck into 'drive'. She then expertly steered onto the main road leading toward San Francisco.

The drive was quiet despite Jim's desire to ask Izzy about her past. He knew that this wouldn't be the best time to ask though. He would wait until after they got to their destination. Jim found himself staring out the window at the passing view.

"How far out are we going?" he asked once he realized they had left the city limits.

"Not much farther actually," Izzy said. "The house is only a few kilometers from here."

After a few minutes had passed, Izzy took a right turn onto a long, but nicely paved driveway. It sloped up a small hill toward a large house.

The house was made mostly of wood but with a couple stonewalls for aesthetic purposes. Large windows on the front of the house reflected the golden light of the setting Sun. It looked like it had been personally designed rather than bought.

Jim had no doubt in his mind that this was Izzy's parents' house.

"Home sweet home." said Izzy. She parked the truck next to a shiny silver car before cutting the engine.

Slowly, Jim exited the truck. He stared at the house in mild amazement. It looked even more impressive up close.

"I was wondering when you two would get here!" called a voice from the veranda.

Jim turned his head to follow the sound and saw a man standing there.

He was a tall man of at least 40 and had a healthy, athletic stature. The dark brown, grey-flecked hair was combed back from his forehead drawing attention to his clear blue eyes. The man's eyes watched Izzy in a way that only parents do to their children.

Jim felt his mouth fall open. _How could this be possible?_ he thought.

Izzy's step-father couldn't possibly be Christopher Pike. Could he?

* * *

**So there you go, chapter 2... I hope you liked it... The next chapter will explain a bit of what happened to Izzy after she left Riverside**

**It might be a while before I get that one uploaded... I actually haven't started it yet... I'm going back to school tmrw so I'm not sure how much free time I'll get to write...**

**As always, reviews are welcome... I feel criticism, good or bad, always helps a Writer improve**

**Until next time! :)**


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